Europe: the “Juncker plan” makes big impact

2 weeks ago

Launched in 2014, the Investment Plan for Europe – known as the ‘Juncker Plan’ – was introduced against a background of low levels of investment and sluggish growth in the aftermath of the economic crisis. It plotted a “roadmap for getting Europe back to work, to boost our economy.” But how much of an impact has it had on European lives?

In addition to financing innovative projects and new technologies,
the Juncker plan has supported other EU objectives, such as in digital,
social and transport policy. Thanks to the European Fund for Strategic
Investments (EFSI), 15 million households can access high-speed
broadband, over 500,000 social and affordable housing units have been
built or renovated, 7.4 million households have been supplied with
renewable energy, improved infrastructure and healthcare services.

The EFSI has mobilized €335 billion in additional investment across the EU since 2015. The Juncker Plan is estimated to have supported the creation of some 750,000 jobs. By 2020, that figure is set to rise to 1.4 million. It has increased EU GDP by 0.6%. By 2020 the boost will be at 1.3%.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are a major focus of the
Juncker Plan with around 700,000 SMEs are benefitting from improved
access to financing.

In order to do so – all projects need to contribute to EU objectives, including sustainable growth. In Ireland they are unlocking new investment in forestry. It’s crucial for both the rural economy and the environment.

Ireland is currently the country with
the lowest forest area of all the European Union. Over the years, the
country has managed to increase it from about 3% of the total to about
12% today.

In 2017, for the first time in 20 years, the European Investment Bank – for the first time – launched financial support for forestry-related investment in Ireland, with loans worth close to €118mn.

Forestry is
an important sector in the Irish economy, contributing €2.3bn to the
country’s GDP annually and employing 12,000 people.

The current
investment programme will run until 2020. But what happens when Jean
Claude Juncker is no longer at the helm of the commission?

The new programme – based on EFSI – will run between 2021 and 2027. InvestEU aims to spend an additional €650bn.

The InvestEU Programme will bring together a multitude of available EU financial tools to support investment. Making an investment in Europe more simple, efficient and flexible.